Neal Rosenthal, Rosenthal Wine Merchants   France & Italy   www.madrose.com

 “Select Vineyards, New York, NY; 212-249-6650 - Former attorney Neal Rosenthal, is part of the new wave of importers buying specific barrels or lots of wines from their producers, and having the wines bottled according to the importer's specifications. For Rosenthal, that means no fining or filtration. Rosenthal is particularly strong in Burgundy, and has recently branched out with some enticing selections from northern Italy.”- Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The Mad Rose Group is the corporate umbrella for a close-knit group of people who understand that wine is an agricultural product and that in its best and purest form wine must reflect a specific sense of place. We share the goal of communicating this concept to an ever-increasing public by presenting the finest examples of wine made in this classical tradition.

This endeavor started in 1978 as a humble, one-man retail operation very much outside the mainstream of the wine business. Neal Rosenthal, having stepped away from his corporate and international law practice, conceived of this project. Joined shortly thereafter by his partner, (Ms.) Kerry Madigan, the two expanded their fledgling company, known as Rosenthal Wine Merchant ("RWM"), from its retail base to become an importer and distributor of fine wine and specialty food products.

The objective from the outset was to work as directly as possible with growers who were dedicated to producing limited quantities of the finest quality wines and who shared the RWM passion for "terroir", that ephemeral "sense of place". Forays into California in 1979 and then into France and Italy in 1980 were the initial explorations. Since that time the RWM portfolio has grown to include 75 different suppliers. These producers supply wines from almost every viticultural area of France, a broad range of wines from Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria and the Oltrepo Pavese in Italy and a handful of elite appellations in California. The wines are selected for concentration, purity of flavors, and clarity of expression. All products brought to the marketplace by RWM are produced in as natural a manner as possible. Our selections have a striking balance between finesse and power which results in exceedingly age worthy wines.

With the assistance of a small and passionate team, the RWM selections are now distributed in approximately 35 states. The consistent growth, both in number of suppliers and clients, has never caused us to be less than faithful to the goal of presenting the finest quality products. We refuse to stray from this high standard despite the rigors of a marketplace that frequently casts about for the newest winemaking fad or demands more wine from the "hot sources". As we have grown we have preferred to change the commercial balance at our growers, shepherding more wine into bottle rather than into the hands of negociants. We prefer to seek out other small sources of supply rather than work with a cooperative, negociant, or large commercial producer to keep the flow of wine coming.

RWM is proud of the fact that our selection is distinctive and expresses a consistent style. We have never purchased wine to simply fill a slot or a missing appellation. Each grower is visited twice yearly to follow the evolution of the wines and to track the development of each estate. The entire sales staff also visits each grower so that the nuances of each domain can be successfully communicated to our growing audience. We note with pride that our list of growers has remained rather constant over the years. This is a testament to the richness of our relationships with our suppliers. We conscientiously work with our producers to insure that they stay on course. A hallmark of our success is that together we have weathered the occasional difficult vintage because of the extraordinary partnerships we have formed with our suppliers and the understanding on the part of each of these suppliers of the obligation to provide RWM with wine of character and class every year.

Martine’s Wines     www.mwines.com  - France

The first woman to establish a wine importing company in the United States. Martine Saunier founded Martine's Wines Inc. in 1979.

Martine is an importer, wholesaler and distributor of many exceptional Burgundies, although she brings in wines from almost all regions of France, as well as from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Some notable Burgundy, Rhône and other wine estates she represents are: Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay; Denis Mortet; Emmanuel Rouget; Domaine Perrot-Minot; Bruno Clavelier; Domaine Charles Audoin in Marsannay; François Jobard; Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, in Chablis; Jean Thevenet/Domaine de la Bongran; Dominique Cornin/Domaine de Lalande; Michel Morey-Coffinet; Château des Tours; Château Rayas; Domaine du Pégau; Domaine Font-Sane, in Gigondas; Château St. Estève d'Uchaux; Champagne Diebolt-Vallois; Château Gilette, in Bordeaux and Niepoort, in Portugal, to name a few.

“Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; 415-485-1800 - A stylish Frenchwoman, Martin Saunier, has put together a portfolio of French wines, particularly from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, that merits attention by any serious French wine enthusiast. Like some of her peers, particularly Robert Kacher and Kermit Lynch, she has vociferously argued against filtration, as well as for shipment in temperature-controlled containers. Her selections reflect nothing less than a brilliant palate.”- Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate